End of the year Pictures!

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Last Full Week of April

This year has felt like it has flown by way too fast.  In second grade, we have been doing so many things in class it's hard to publish them all. Last week in our Math Measurement introduction we learned about why it was so important to all use the same tool to measure with or we would get different results.  We even had King Hirschi come in and measure bed the kids had previously made with their own measurements.  We also learned about what they used in Rome and Eygpt as tools of measurement with their bodies.

This week we are staying just as busy!!!

In Reading: we will be continuing our Non-Fiction reading units.  We will read about Butterflies and question and write down facts we found were interesting or important. Our new vocabulary words this week are fragile, sip, picky, and attract.  We will also be working with the prefixes un and re.

In Writing: We will continue to look at Non Fiction text features.  We will look at how some authors use illustrations while others use diagrams. We will add this into picking out which Polar writing they want to use in their final book.

In Math: We will continue our Measurement Unit with measuring in inches, feet, and yards.  We will discuss using the correct tool for different objects.  We will then plot our results on Line Graphs.

In Science: We will finish our Force and Gravity unit. We will go into different types of force used to move objects. 

Happy Crazy Weather Spring!!!

Well, I don't remember the last Spring where we had two falls of snow right out of the shoot.  However, we will also see some 60-degree weather this week as well.  So Missouri weather it is!!

We do have an early out on Wednesday but we are here all week so this is our first full week of April. We are busy, busy, busy.

This week's target skills are;

in Reading- We will read The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola.  We will also read a biography of the author.  We will be working on suffixes and words with more than one suffix.  We will also be working with words that have both prefixes and suffixes.  This week's new vocabulary words are; insist, create, predict, and fabulous.

in Writing- We will be reading some Non-Fiction works about Polar lands, animals, and people.  We ill be writing facts we find interesting that we learned and creating a nonfictional piece. 

in Math- We will continue working on counting money with coins and dollars.

in Science- We will be looking at living and nonliving things in our environments.  We will read two books Do You Know Which One Will Grow? and What's Alive?.

Spring Break Week

Rain, Rain, Go Away!  I know we need rain for our crops and fields but it always makes it a dreary day when we start off with rain in the morning! 😒😒 However, this is a short week due to our Spring Break that starts on Thursday.  So I hope everyone has a safe and fun Spring Break/Easter weekend.  We will see you next week!!

This week's target skills:

Reading- Jelly Bean reading, contraction work, editing skills, and homophone with poetry

Writing- Complete writing about interview partner from last week

Math- Test over addition/subtraction of 3 digit numbers and pretest over measurement for next unit

Science- read Sunshine On My Shoulders and discuss sun safety

Field Trip Note and End of 3rd Quarter

Last week was busy with the end of 3rd quarter.  On Friday 3Q Report Cards were sent home.  I would appreciate it if it could be looked over, signed, and sent back as soon as possible.  We also had our 3rd Quarter AR party on Friday.  The kids seemed to have a blast.  This year is the first year we have supported our kiddos goal setting for reading with a party.  It seems to be working.  Each student set their own reading goal that they think they can achieve.  Then each student must read books and take quick AR tests to test for comprehension.  The point allotment depends on how many questions were answered correctly.

Also on Friday, a field trip permission slip was sent home.  This year on April 19th we will be going to Martha Lafite Nature Sanctuary for the Collasal Fossil program.  One adult may attend per student. Students are $8 and adults are $5. The permission slip and money are due on March 23rd.  This is by far my favorite field trip we have taken!

This week's learning targets are;

Reading- reading The Paper Crane working on questioning, new vocabulary(host, hospitality, gratitude, and overjoyed)

Writing- Nonfiction reading and writing, Kate and Pippin: An Unlikely Friendship and How to Be a Friend, looking at interview questions and interviewing partners to write about someone

Science- Sounds All Around Us and completing our sound unit, the start of a unit to understand that sunlight provides the light and heat necessary to maintain the temperature of the Earth

Math- subtracting across zeros, reviewing subtracting of 3 digit numbers, and post-test

This week we have so many things going on.  It is the end of our 3rd quarter on Wednesday, March 14th. Which means AR goals are done at 3:00 on Wednesday.  If they have met their AR Goal then they will get to go to the AR party on Friday afternoon.  If they have not then they will stay behind in class and work.  This has been the same rule we have had the entire year.  Each student made a goal at what they wanted to hit.  So it is self-appointed and they are responsible for choosing books on their reading level and signing up for an AR test.

Congratulations to both of our High School Basketball teams who made it to the Final Four at State last week. The girls ended up taking 2nd and the boys took 3rd!! Amazing year for both teams!

This week we have the following target skills;

In Reading, we will read a story called Galimoto.  We are working on the skill of asking questions(wondering) to deepen our understanding.  We will also review how to use a dictionary.  Our new vocab words this week are; fetch, murmur, sturdy, and guide.

In Writing, we are working on choosing drafts we worked on previously and publishing them for an end of the year book.  We are looking at the tools around the room we will be able to use, features of a published book, and speaking clearly to others. We will; finish it with looking at how we can assess ourselves as we go as well as our peers.

In Science, we are using Sound Stations to look at the vibrations a sound makes.

In Math, we are working on subtracting 3 digit numbers; rewriting them, across zeros, and problem-solving.

State Basketball

This week will be cut short a little, due to something amazing...our high school basketball teams both making it to the Final Four in Springfield.  So this Thursday, March 8th will now be an early out and no school on Friday.  Hopefully, you will be able to make it down to see our ladies and gentlemen compete against the best in our state!

This week in Reading, we are celebrating Dr. Seuss and his many accomplishments and books.  We will be working with onomatopoeias through Gerald McBoing Boing and Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?! We will be working on shooting for goals even if times get hard and others look down on us through Oh The Places You Will Go. We will discuss how our mistakes make us who we are and they make us learn more to succeed.  W will then finalize this week by reading the book The Lorax and then watching the movie to compare different types of media.

In Math, we will be continuing to work on 3-digit subtracting.

In Science, we will start our sound unit by listening to sounds around our environment.  We will read the story What's That Sound?. 

2nd grade Matter Rap

President's Day Week

Today is President's Day. It was also a make-up snow day.  It looks like the weather this week is quite chilly as well., so continue to bundle up your kiddo!!!

Last week we started in with some of our flexible seating choices.  We have these options so far; soft seats, standing pods, lap trays, a camping chair, stability balls, and the newest one is a bean bag. The kiddos have been using them very nicely where they can relax in their learning environment instead of on the floor or seats.  Thank you to Brianica Talbot's grandmother who donated two more stability balls for our classroom.  Also, thank you to Erin McGinley and Amber McKnight who have donated towards our Donor's Choose Project to get more seating options.  It's amazing we have such supportive families, so thank you so much!!!

This weeks' learning targets skills are;

in Reading, we will be reading the story The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau.  In this story, we will be working with the skill of wondering (questioning) as we read. Our vocabulary words for this week are stunned, genius, chaos, and notorious.  /We will also be working with words with the sounds of y and when we add the suffixes er and est.

in Writing, we are working on selecting uncompleted drafts to publish for our end of the year books.  We are working on adding details such as color.  We will also be working with looking at unpunctuated passages to figure out where punctuation is needed.

in Science, we will be working on physical and chemical changes.  From there we will have an investigation with Root Beer Floats as a surprise. Then we go into the volume of objects.

in Math, we will review addition of 3 digit numbers.  Then we start subtracting 3 digit numbers.  Mental subtraction of 100's and 10's.

Happy Valentine's Week!

This is the week of friendship and love.  We celebrate this with our party on Wednesday, February 14th at 9:30 am.  We also have an early out that day as well.  We hope to see as many of you there we can.  Also, in 2nd grade, we do NOT make a Valentine box or bag here at school.  So whatever is created must be done at home.

This week's target learning skills are as follows;

in Reading- using Chester's Way to revisit and discuss inferencing skills from the clues author's give us.  We will also be discussing how characters can change throughout a story. Our new vocab for this week is miniature, duplicate, rarely, and disguise.

in Writing- we will read two books Beardream to talk about how to write an ending to a story, and Ducky to discuss writing stories with toys.  We are also working on using longer words by sounding out entire parts.

in Math- continue to work on 3 digit addition regrouping tens and ones, rewriting problems, and problem-solving by guess and checking.

in Science- working with Matter and learning about the difference in molecule actions

100th Day and Courtwarming

This week has some crazy days with all the celebrations and dress up days this week.  Starting off our week is our 100th Day with in-class activities and celebrations.  Our class also earned a Movie Day with our Blurt Bean jar.  This week is our High School's Court warming for Winter/Spring Sports.  Dress up days go as follows: Monday-Favorite Athlete Day, Tuesday-Twin Day, Wednesday-Decades, Thursday-Circus Day, and Friday- Spirit Day red/green wear.

This weeks learning  target skills;

in Reading- reading Babu's Song to work on making inferences. Read  Alpha Oops Day Z Went First working on word work of alphabetizing. Vocab this week is stuff, tourist, collect, and sniffle.

in Writing- Read Alexander and the Horrible Terrible No Good Very Bad Day to work on how authors tell more about interesting events that happen to characters.  We will work on publishing past work.

in Science- continuing to create our Pet rock, erosion, and starting to look at earth's slow changes.

in Math- 2 step word problems with subtracting 2 digit numbers, reviewing subtraction and checking with addition.

This week will be our first full week back this year so far.  We have already had a couple of non-school days due to the low temperature outside.  I'm excited to get back into our normal routine of things. We will now be going to school on President's Day to make up for one of our snow days.

This week we do have one early out on Wednesday.   We will be getting out at noon. However, if you are looking for something to do on that same day after school, it will also be Club Fun Day from 12-5 pm. 

This week's learning targets;

in Reading- The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey to work on visualizing the author's words, vocabulary routine, fade, expert, and flap, -ed endings and their different sounds.

in Writing- "Let's Get a Pup," said Kate by Bob Graham Sheila Rae the Brave by Kevin Henkes to work on how to add more details and look at how authors use them to write longer pieces of writing, also working on commas in a series, and giving effective feedback.

in Math- rewriting 2 digit subtraction problems, using addition to check subtraction through buddy check, and problem-solving with 2 step word problems.

in Science- Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Natalie Rosinsky, using lenses to look at rocks, creating a pet rock, and erosion.

Junior Achievement Week

Every year second grade is involved in a program that is put on by Junior Achievement.  Our program is centered around our community and economics.  Each of our classes has a volunteer come into our classroom and teaches a lesson about these topics.  The students learn so much through this program and we can't wait for it to happen this week.  Ms. Prescher's class volunteer is Robin Kelly and we start our program today! So ask your child questions about it!

This week's learning target skills are as follows;

 in Reading, we will be reading a story called Pop A Book About Bubbles.  We will be using this story to help us with visualization and telling more to a story through details. Our vocabulary words we will be working with are shimmer, vanish, expand, and stream.  We will also be reviewing antonyms and synonyms.  We will also be working hard with words with the ing endings.

in Writing, we will read I WIll Never Not Ever Eat Tomatoes. We will be looking at how this author could have written one sentence and we would have known things she didn't like. However, she created a story by adding details and telling more so we as readers can picture better. We will learn questions to ask ourselves in order to help us add more detail to our own writing.

in MAth, we will start working on the steps for double-digit subtraction.  We will work on regrouping a 10 as ones and practicing subtracting 2 digit numbers.

Welcome Back 2018!

So here we are halfway through our year! Two quarters down as second graders and two more to go.  We are busy, busy, busy this week even though it's only a three day work week.  We will be reviewing a lot of our rules and routines so we don't get caught in the slump of the end of the year.

In Reading and Writing, we will be using this time to review our classroom procedures, renewing our knowledge of our 3 rules; be safe, be responsible, and be respectful.  We will be reviewing our Daily 5 procedures. and using this time to review bus PBS procedures as well as cafeteria procedures.

In Math, we will use one day as a review from adding two-digit addition since we last saw it a couple weeks ago in 2017. We will then go into our next unit of subtracting 2 digit numbers by reviewing fact families.